Post-driving machine



(No Modl.) `2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. HIATT.

. VPOST DRIVING MACHINE. No. 286,816. Patented Oct. I6, 1883.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. HIATT. POST DRIVING MACHINE.

No. 286,816. Patented 0G13. l16, 1883.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.-

.EDWIN HIATT, OF .NEV CASTLE, INDIANA.

POST-DRIVING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,816, dated October16, 1883.

Applieation filed May 16, less. (No model.)

into the Earth, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates to improvements made by me ina machine known asapile-driver, so as to adapt it to the use and purpose of driving andsetting fence-posts in the earth. I attain this object by mechanism`illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure l is aperspective view` of the entire machine. Fig. 2 represents the clampingarrangements for securing the post in position. Fig. 3 represents thegrappling-hook for lifting the driving-weight and the part connect edtherewith. Fig. 4 is a'vie'w in detail of the 'tongue and itsattachments.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out the several views. v

rlhe upright frame is an ordinary pile-driving frame, with itsguiding-cleats and crossbars, the frame resting upon a base orsubstructure, which consists of a sled of two wide board runners, withcross-bars combining and holding the runners together, andl upon theserest the other parts o f the machinery, as hereinafter explained. Theupright frame is attached to a movable adjustable bolster, J, by twocross-beams at right angles to the bolster and at equal distances fromthe ends thereof. Across the forward end of these cross-beams is bolteda cap or cross-piece parallel with the bolster, underneath which pieceand between said cross-beams, and fastened thereto, is a beam, F,extending at right angles to and forward of said bolster J, toward frontend of sled. On the under side of this beam F, near the rear endthereof, a lever, E, vertical to the under surface thereof and extendingvertically downward, properly braced, works atits lower end in a slot inthe metal plate 0,- fastened to the upper surface and innerl edge of theclamping-bar A, by which lever E the clampingbars A B are moved to theright or left as the top part of the machine, by means of the adjustablebolster J, is inovedto the left or right, so as to hold and maintain thepost to be driven of the sled and under the bolster K and the middleupper cross-bar of thesled, being kept in position by two cleats orguides, C C, attached at right angles to the under surface of theclamp-bar A, so that their outer edges work between and against theedges of said lower cross-bars of the sled. The clamp-bar B works 'on apivot at the front end, and is kept pressed firmly in position againstthe post to be driven by the spring D pressing the post against theclamp-bar A. The bars A B are connected at the front end by across-beam, in which is the pivot of B and the front end of the springD. Both A and B move at the same time and to the same extent by theaction of the lever E. The front ends of the bars A and-B work in a slotbetween the upper and lower middle cross-bars of the sled.

Attached to the frame-work upon which the derrick stands arethecross-beams on thebolster J On therighthand is a stationary clamp-bar,G, and attached to the beam F, about-its center, by a pivot is a movablebar, H, which is held in position and pressing toward G by the spring D.These two bars hold in position and safely clamp the top of the post,while the bars AB,

above described, hold in position and clamp.

the lower part of -the post to be driven. The bar A and the stationarybar G serve as a guide for the face edge of the post and keep the samein line while being driven into the earth. The post, being firmly heldat the upper and lower ends, and both the upper. and lower clamps beingy adjustable, as herein shown, may be set at any angle orpcrpendicularly upon any inclined surface. The inner edges of the rearends of the bars A B G H are cut at such a bevel that the post can bereadily slipped into position from behind, and rounded beveled notchesin the edges of the bars B H clasp and hold the post against the bars AG, yet not so tightly as to interfere with the driving the post downwardinto the ground. The bolster K extends across the sled near the rearend, and the ends ofthe bolster are formed into journals working intheboxes on top of the runners, which permits the bolster to turnforward or IOO backward. This bolster K is connected with the upperbolster, J, by the adjustable hingeroller joint L, and the two holstersbeing thus j connected, the center of the lower bolster being someinches higher than the ends, the upper side being beveled offl towardeach end, permits considerable motion to the bolster J up and down uponsaid joint as a pivot.

On each side of the bolster K, at each end thereof, are bolted uprightstandards M M', with slots therein, opposite and facing each other.Between these upright slotted standards the vends of the bolster J work.Through these slots and the ends of said bolster a rod with head on oneend and screw on the other passes, whilea nut with tail or handlescrewed upon the screw end of the rod clamps the bolster firmly in anyposition desired between the standards.

N N represent the rods above described, and shown in the drawings. Atone or both ends ofthe upper side of the bolster are small spirit-levelsR It', by which a horizontal position can be readily determined. On thebeam F is also a s )irit-level R inserted in the upper side for the samepurpose.

Attached by a pivot to the front edge, at the center of the frontcross-bar of the sled, is a slotted standard, P.

In the end of the beam Fis a rod with setscrew working in the slot ofthe standard I?, by which the end of F may be raised or lowered andsecured in position, bringing the top ofthe derriek and other partsofthe machine into plumb forward or backward. y

The motion and adjustments effected and allowed by the standards IWI, M,and I, enable us 4to place the machine -in a vertical position upon allkinds of inclined surfaces, and also to set and drive posts at dierentangles or perpendicularly, as may be desired, and make the machinecompletely adjustable in all di'- rections.

In order to further adjust the machine in rmoving from post to post, thetongue b is attached to the front part of the sled by sliding throughand into staples on the under side of the front cross-bar and the lowermiddle crossbar of the sled, and is secured in position by two braces, gg,hooking into staples in the front cross-bar ofthe sled, and intostaples on each side of the tongue. Two other staples, a few inches inthe rear of those in the tongue, above described, enable the tongue tobe pulled forward out of the hinder staple, the braces being placed inthe rear staples of the tongue, whereby it (the tongue) is readilyconverted from an immovable to a movable or limber tongue.

krThe hammer or driving-weight X, for driving posts into the earth, maybe of any size and heaviness desired, with guide grooves upon the sidesworking as in ordinary piledrivers. The lifting bar or bail of theweight X is arod, WV, extending across the top of the weight, coveredwith a tube or sheath, which rolls upon the rod YV as its axis. Thegrappling-hook S is guided under the bail XV by the guide V, and thesheath thereon,when the hook is tilted and disengaged, rolls off thehook easily and without much friction. A spring, T, fastened to theguide-bar to which the grappling-hook is attached, presses forward uponthe lower end of the grappling hook S and forces it under the bail NV.The arm U, in operating the machine, presses against the plate at top ofthe derrick, and throws the hook S backward and discngages it from thebail XV, and allows the weight X to fall upon the top ofthe post to bedriven, and forces it into the ground. The same effect is produced bypulling upon the rope or cord attached to the upper end of the arm U, sothat the weight X can be disengaged at any desired height above thepost, by which a light or heavy blow can be given at will.

On each side of the derrick-frame, at suit` able height, areresting-blocks Y Y, operated by springs and cords attached thereto, asshown in the drawings at Z Z, by which the weight`X may be held inposition at will. Upon raising the weight the resting-blocks arewithdrawn from under the weight by force of the springs.

I am aware that prior to my invention pile and post driving machineshave been made and used for driving posts into the earth by lifting,disengaging, and letting fall a heavy weight upon the top of the post tobe driven, and that devices have been made and used for adjusting sameto uneven surfaces, and I recognize the patent to T. XV. Loveless, No.20,883, issued July 13, 1858, entitled Pile- Driver, 7 and Iclaimnothing therein contained. I therefore do not claim such acombination, broadly; but

YV hat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-' l. The combination, in a post-driving machine, of themovable and adjustable clamping-bars A B and spring D, for the purposeof clamping and holding the lower end ofthe post to be driven in properposition, and the lever E, attached to the under side of the beam F andvertical to the under surface thereof, and extending downward untillower end of said lever is received into the slot in metal plate O,fastened to upper surface of clamping-bar A, the said several parts, thebeam F, and the bolster J so arranged and connected, as described in theforegoing speciiication, that the lower end of said lever E, working insaid slot, simultaneously moves the clamping-bars A B to the right orleft as the top ofthe uprights are moved to left or right by lowering orraising one or the other ends of the bolster J, whereby the post to bedriven is adjusted, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a post-driving machine, of the stationaryclamp-bar G, the movable bar H, and the spring D, for clamping, ad-

IOO

IIO

justing, and holding in position the upper end of the post to bedriven,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a post-driving inachine, of the bolsters J K, theconnecting adjustable hinge-j oint L, the slotted standardsl M M, thelevels R R', and the clamping rods and screws N N', for the purpose ofadjusting the machine sidewise to uneven and hilly ground, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, ina post-driving ma`V chine, of the beam F, theslotted movable standard l?, the set-screw Q, and the level R, with thebolster J, for the purpose of adjusting the machine forward and backwardto adapt Ait to use on uneven or hilly ground, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. The combination, in a post-driving machine, of the grappling-hook Swith the spring T, the arm U, the guide V, and the bail VV,wiih rollingsheath or cover, by which friction is lessened, for the purpose ofgrappling and raising the weight X and loosening and letting the samefall upon the top of the post to be driven, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

6L lllhe combination, with the upright of a post-driving machine, of therests Y Y, the springs Z Z, and the cords a a', for the pur- 3o pose ofkeeping the hammer or weight X suspended at will, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth. l

7. The combination, in a post-driving machine, of the adjustable 'tongueb, with two staples or eyes on the two edges thereof, at suitabledistances apart and at suitable distances from the rear end thereof, thestaples on the front edge of the front cross-bar of the sled, thestaples on the under sides of the said A front crossbar and the lowermiddle cross-bar of the sled, into one or both of which two lastnamedstaples the tongue may be inserted, according as a movable or immovabletongue is desired, the braces g y', fastened by hooks on their ends intothe eyes on the sides of the tongue b, and the eyes on front edge offront cross-bar of sled, so as to hold said tongue from ymovingsidewise, forward, or backward, and

adjust post to position desired, substantially as and -for the purposesset forth.

s EDWIN HIATT.

Vtnesses:

WILLIAM H. BUssER, CAnvIN BOND'.

